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I Want You
"I Want You" is the second single from Janet Jackson's 2004 album, Damita Jo. The mid-tempo ballad consists of a "retro" sound and arrangement which pays homage to the classic pop sound of the Motown era. "I Want You" is notable for being one of the first singles to be produced with Kanye West and co-written by John Legend, who were both upcoming artists at the time. The song's music video was directed by Dave Meyers and portrays Janet traveling through Los Angeles to meet her fiancé. Similar to other singles from Damita Jo and Jackson's following two albums, the song was largely affected by the blacklist of Jackson's singles and music videos on many radio formats and music channels worldwide due to legalities surrounding her controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show incident, with media conglomerates such as Viacom and CBS enforcing the boycott. "I Want You" was certified Platinum and also received a Grammy nomination for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance". Background and release Released as the second single from Damita Jo, "I Want You" was produced by Jackson, Jam & Lewis, and Kanye West, and was written by West, John Legend, Miri Ben-Ari, and Harold Lilly. The song was initially titled "Have Your Way with Me" during its early recording stages, and contains a brief sample from B.T. Express' version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You". "I Want You" was the only song from Damita Jo which Jackson did not co-write along with "Thinkin' 'Bout My Ex", which was produced with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. "I Want You" received a Grammy nomination for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and was also certified Platinum. Describing the song, Jackson said ""I Want You" is written by Kanye West, it was originally brought to me by Kanye, who I think is absolutely wonderful. It's a different kind of song for me, it's more of like a throwback. More of a doowoop-y feel, which I've never done before which is quite exciting, and I enjoyed recording it in the studio." John Platt, senior Vice President of Virgin Records and EMI Publishing, commented on the song's initial development, saying "This album [Damita Jo] is really about positive love and where she's at in her life right now. The second half of the album was very easy once me and Janet got to know each other, and found the songs that really were true to her and that she can sing with conviction. That's why there's so much passion in this "I Want You" record, that's where shes at in her life right now." Due to an early leak, the song was officially released for digital download through Virgin Records's official site and All Access Music Group on February 22, though wasn't sent to radio until two months later. "I Want You" was released as the album's second single shortly after the release of the rock-influenced "Just a Little While". A newly recorded urban remix of "Just A Little While" produced by Just Blaze titled "Love Me" was initially to be sent to urban radio, but when the original version of the song was pulled from the airwaves following Jackson's Super Bowl incident, "I Want You" was then issued to urban stations. The song was released exclusively to urban formats, though also gained some support from pop radio. However, its chart success and overall airplay was largely affected by Jackson's blacklist on many radio formats and music channels by Viacom, MTV, CBS, and Clear Channel Communications following her controversial Super Bowl mishap, in which the aforementioned media companies were fined and taken to Supreme Court by the FCC. West first began recording with Jackson during October the previous year, a few months prior to the release of his debut album The College Dropout, saying "I don't want to talk about it before it comes out, but it'll be unbelievable." A biography of West commented on the song's initial production, adding "There was no room for second place on the charts with artists like Jay Z and Janet Jackson, and therein. West adopted the appropriate philosophy of perfectionist behind the boards in the lab, explaining that "my definition of perfectionist would be like I know I'm a perfectionist, where I'll keep working on something 'til, like I don't care how long it takes until its just where it needs to be." Along with "I Want You", West produced two other songs with Jackson for Damita Jo titled "My Baby" and "Strawberry Bounce", which were both initially considered to be released as singles. The song also features contributions from violinist Miri Ben-Ari, with an article on CNN commenting "Her violin gently caresses Janet Jackson on the single "I Want You", which effectively gave the song "a dramatic edge you won't find anywhere else." Jackson performed the song on multiple entertainment shows, including On Air! with Ryan Seacrest and Good Morning America. Due to the blacklist, the song was the ninety-fourth most played song of the year on urban radio, though became the twenty-ninth most played on the annual chart of urban adult contemporary formats. The album version of the track ends with a brief interlude of Jackson speaking about her passion for music, which the radio edit omits. A limited edition promotional single including the song's E-Smoove remix, music video, and an exclusive interview was released for purchase at Regal Cinemas for a short time. The song was also included on the hits compilation BET Awards: '04 Nominees. "I Want You" was not included on Jackson's second hits compilation Number Ones. Critical reception "I Want You" was a critical success and received favorable reviews, and was also considered a strong contender for success on multiple airplay formats. The song was described as "innocent pop" which "pays homage to the Motown sound", though it was also considered it to be "more R&B-leaning" than many of Jackson's previous singles. The song's old-school sound fused with elements of modern pop drew comparisons to artists such as The Carpenters and The Dramatics, with many reviews also praising the song's co-production from Kanye West. Michael Paoletta of Billboard labeled it under 'Essential Reviews', saying "On the heels of her new top 40-aimed pop single, "Just a Little While," Janet Jackson embraces her urban fans with "I Want You." Co-produced by Kanye West—the current poster child for churning out crossover R&B/hip-hop hits—the retro-vibed song calls to mind the sparkly yet wistful soul of '60s-era girl groups. It also carries a contemporary reference." Paoletta also considered its overall feel and "girl-desires-boy theme" to make the track into a "crossover gem". The song's production from "the prolific West" was also praised, adding "the opening drum downbeat immediately sets the tone. That beat smoothly propels the song, accompanied by swirling string crescendos that are the perfect backdrop for Jackson's breathy vocals", concluding that the single potentially "stands a much better chance of multiformat popularity" on pop, urban, rhythmic, and adult contemporary formats than album's "the festive, guitar-based" lead single. Ernest Hardy of LA Weekly called the track "a retro affair" complete with a classic "girl-group arrangement", while a critique from music website Gashaus observed the song "shimmers with some of Janet's former iridescent glow." Neil Strauss of Rolling Stone notably exclaimed Jackson "evokes the Motown dreams her siblings lived", while The Guardian praised the song's "impossibly lithe basseline", calling it "an intriguing electronic reconstruction of an early 1970s soul ballad" which is "not only inventive, but brilliantly constructed." Spence D. of IGN praised the single, saying "the album shifts into '70s retro mode with "I Want You," which is a perfect homage to the lighter, brighter era of R&B mainstream excess. It's squeaky and clean sounding in a sugary, fluff kind of way, almost as if it were a song recorded by Janet years ago and recently rediscovered. And you know what? It's cool because of that." MLive considered the song to be Jackson's fourth most underrated single, calling it one of the "fruits from that era that don't get the respect they deserve", adding "In the aftermath that was nipplegate, the Kanye West-produced single "I Want You" simply got lost in the wash. The starry-eyed, Motown-inspired ballad had Janet vulnerable and lovesick, boo hooing for her lover's attention." Tareck Ghoneim of Contact Music praised the "love song" as "a nostalgic trip back to the soulful Motown Jackson era". Ghoneim also commended the track's "sweet melody, nice backing vocals and laid back groove", which was an effective departure from the "upbeat tempo and modern r’n’b progression we’re used to with Janet these days. The lyrics are simple. She just wants her man and she’s telling it straight." The song's production was also commended, saying "the track builds up towards the end. There’s nice strings to give the song feeling, a cool groove from the bass, backed by the drums and there’s even a triangle thrown in there for good measure", with the track ultimately concluded as "A blast from the past, with sweet serenity for those candlelit moments." Irish music publication The Hot Press called it an "obligatory ballad" which effectively aids Jackon by allowing her to "showcase her versatility and mastery of a bewildering array of styles". Additionally, Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman decided the track "takes a breather from the brazenly steamy numbers to demonstrate that she still has a knack for cute, lonesome pop soul songs", adding the track nearly portrays Jackson "as a teenager, all toothsome and coy." Music retail outlet HMV stated "Jackson truly scores when she combines the distinctly carnal with more innocent pop notions, as she does with sublime beauty on the Dramatics-esque "I Want You". The Orlando Sentinel classified "the sweetly melodic old-school soul of "I Want You" as one of Jackson's "occasional bursts of inspiration", also declaring the song to be "a beautifully big arrangement that's Motown-esque." Additionally, the "depth and sweetness of the slow jam" was considered "unexpected" by Dan LeRoy of The Scene, who commented "West's swaying '50s pastiche "I Want You" is delightful". The LA Times exclaimed the track "has a swooning charm, with a chimes-studded texture that suggests the sweeping light-points of a disco ball." Mikael Wood of The City Paper gave a similar critique, saying the "luscious slow jam" ultimately "shimmers with the sweet lovesickness Karen Carpenter had to fight through a scrim of suburban sang-froid to express." AllMusic declared the track to be "on the slower side", complete with "a verse that's memorable". Tom Moon of The Inquirer called it "rapture-seeking", while The Toronto Sun thought of it as a "drippy ballad". Meanwhile, The San Francisco Gate qualified it as "cascading", and Blogcritics affirmed the release as "a great single". Plugged In Online observed subtle sexuality in the song's lyrics, commenting "She’s insatiable, telling partners, “Just have your way with me/My body is cryin”, with Entertainment Weekly also suggesting the song's title "relay that message" of affirming her desires. The song's co-production from Kanye West also drew attention and acclaim. British website UKMix exclaimed "it's newcomer Kanye West that gets the best of Janet", while another review raved "When approached with the task of working with one of Pop’s biggest Queens, Kanye does a great job of taking her out of her element but at the same time keeping the vibe in her lane. This R&B meets Pop meets Hip Hop track stands out because of all the crazy drum beats Kanye uses in the background, but stays really sweet and simple to match Jackson’s vocals." People Magazine stated "it's producer-rapper Kanye West who makes the biggest impression", adding the "old-school charmer "I Want You," which recalls West's work with Alicia Keys on "You Don't Know My Name," effectively "return the attention to Jackson's music, where it belongs." Blender declared "he also guided I Want You, one of the most entertaining moments here. Coproduced with Jam and Lewis, its poignant, too, as Jackson seems to sympathetically describe her big brother's innocent youth." Today.com exclaimed "he’s also been diverse enough to offer buttery-smooth soul for the likes of Janet Jackson", while Dotmusic declared the song portrays West's and Jackson's "willingness to experiment", calling the track "a peculiar post-modern waltz with a '40s supper club vibe, being the ear-catcher." UKMix also commented the track "sees Janet team up with Kanye West on an irresistible ballad that harks back to classic R&B tracks", also calling it "the most deserving of attention." The "slow jam" was also considered to have "an irresistible and classy 60s feel", being described as "excellent", "worthy of individual release" and "the cream of her great "Damita Jo" album". The review concluded Jackson "puts her soul" into the track, "resulting in an excellent single which should give her a well-deserved hit." Dan Aquilante of The New York Post praised the song's timeless feel, saying "the breezy “I Want You,” which is so old-fashioned, it could have been on the radio 30 years ago" is "pretty, light and easy on the ear". However, the review ultimately considered it to be a mistep and the wrong direction for Jackson, adding "it isn’t Janet Jackson. This sass-less song shows how taking a step backward has to be just about the worst way to reinvent yourself." Hip-hop critic Kevin Nottingham ranked it as West's second best R&B production, classifying it as a "gorgeous piece of work." Nottingham additionally exclaimed "The drums hit at the beginning and the listener should already fall in love. Janet’s voice should intrigue you, but frankly, those strings and those drums grab my attention all the time. Especially when those drums speed up, wow. The video has Janet walking down some really shady parts of the neighbourhood in pursuit of Jermaine Dupri! All jokes aside, Kanye’s beat takes us on a really joyful ride that doesn’t have to have us ending up in JD’s presence; after all, the beat evokes happiness, not pre-pubescent teenage talent." Another review raved the song's pre-chorus to be "super clever" and also commended the track's collaborative effort, saying "This is one of those songs that just sounds good", also adding West "did a good job" with the song's production, and "violinist Miri Ben-Ari really added that special touch to it with the strings near the end of the song. Add all of that with Janet’s soft, sweet vocals; and you get a great song." Hip-hop critic Kevin Nottingham ranked it as West's second best R&B production, classifying it as a "gorgeous piece of work." Nottingham additionally exclaimed "The drums hit at the beginning and the listener should already fall in love. Janet’s voice should intrigue you, but frankly, those strings and those drums grab my attention all the time. Especially when those drums speed up, wow. The video has Janet walking down some really shady parts of the neighbourhood in pursuit of Jermaine Dupri! All jokes aside, Kanye’s beat takes us on a really joyful ride that doesn’t have to have us ending up in JD’s presence; after all, the beat evokes happiness, not pre-pubescent teenage talent." Another review raved the song's pre-chorus to be "super clever" and also commended the track's collaborative effort, saying "This is one of those songs that just sounds good", also adding West "did a good job" with the song's production, and "violinist Miri Ben-Ari really added that special touch to it with the strings near the end of the song. Add all of that with Janet’s soft, sweet vocals; and you get a great song." Live performances Jackson performed "I Want You" on Good Morning America, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Much Music, and MSN. To date, the song has not been included on any of Jackson's following tours. Chart performance and blacklist "I Want You", along with Jackson's other singles from Damita Jo and her following two albums, was blacklisted by many major radio formats following her controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show incident. The boycott was put into effect by entertainment companies involved with the event who received massive fines after the accidental exposure, such as the FCC, media conglomerate Viacom, which owns many radio formats and MTV (the show's co-producer), and CBS, which broadcast the event and also owns Clear Channel Communications. A senior executive for Viacom stated "are absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure." Additionally, CBS also revealed they would cease supporting Jackson's future artistic and career endeavors. Due to the blacklist, "I Want You" received moderate airplay on pop formats, though was only released to urban radio, where it gained increased rotation. In its first week of release, the song generated an audience impression of nearly 22 million on urban formats which were able to play the song, though it was unable to rise past the Top 20 in airplay due to the boycott. The single peaked at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eighteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, also entering the Top 10 of the Urban Adult Contemporary chart. Although the song was released as a promotional single in select international territories, "All Nite (Don't Stop)" was issued as the album's second single in most foreign markets, with "I Want You" being released with it as a double A-Side. However, "I Want You" reached #19 in the UK and entered the Top 30 in Italy. Due to strong single sales, the song was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Music video The video for "I Want You" was directed by Dave Meyers, who previously directed Jackson's videos for "All for You" and "Just A Little While", and filmed for three days from March 21–24, 2004. The video was shot in Los Angeles and depicts Jackson traveling through the city at night to meet her fiance, interacting with the various people she encounters along the way. The video begins with Jackson leaving her apartment before walking through the city's various settings, including a grocery store, before taking the bus, and ends with Jackson entering a Boys & Girls Club recreation center to visit her then-boyfriend, music producer Jermaine Dupri. Along with Dupri, actor Bobb'e J. Thompson makes a brief cameo. Jackson is shown wearing her trademark midriff-baring outfits and naval piercing in the clip. Speaking about the video, Jackson said "it wasn't a lot of major wardrobe, major hair, major makeup. It was just very simple and very real in a sense. I like that, and I hadn't done in a video like that in awhile", also commenting on the clip's initial concept, explaining "I'm coming out of my apartment building and walking down the street, and you see all the goings-on in the neighborhood." Jackson also praised Meyers as a director, saying "I think he's a wonderful director and he's a good friend, we've been friends since the "All for You" video. He has a great eye." Commenting on the video's theme, director Dave Meyers said "the song has kind of an old school R&B vibe to it, so we wanted to be really stripped down and really simple with the video." "Every time we get the chance to work together I always try to do something a little different, you know. I hadn't seen her a do a real stripped down, really basic video. I got a taste of it when I did another video with her where she was a guest star, and I got her really stripped down in that but it was still in a Jamaican environment. I just wanted to put her in a really contemporary American environment and bring out the emotions in the song and the bittersweetness of it. Me and her were just vibing off that, and thought it would be really fun to do something just really simple. No visual effects, no gags. The whole strength of the video is on just the honesty of the piece, and that was sort of what we set out to do. Sometimes it's an important visual effect, today it's an important emotion." Additionally, Meyers said "In the other video we were shooting, she came out of the trailer wearing a black So So Def jacket, and that's when I got the idea, 'it would be great if you do a whole video if you look like you do now when you're going home'. It took her a minute, she thought about it, she asked JD if he'd be okay with doing the video, 'cus I was begging and I was like, 'if I could get the two of you in a simple video together, it's gonna be gold.' She asked and he said yea, and that's when my video came to life." Meyers also had the idea for Dupri's cameo due to persistent rumors of their relationship circulating in the media, saying "That's the whole concept here, a real simple video and then the slam dunk is JD's in the video. He hasn't been in any of her stuff and all the rumors of 'are they together, are they not together.'" A scene of Jackson purchasing Trojan condoms while in the grocery store was filmed in order to promote safe sex but was omitted from the final video. Jackson previously included a similar message at the end of her video for "Any Time, Any Place". The video made its premiere on the video documentary series "Access Granted", which also aired behind-the-scenes footage of its creation. The clip was included on the song's enhanced single and Jackson's video compilation From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos, along with a live performance of the song. The clip mainly received positive reception, though Dupri's cameo was ultimately panned. A description of the video read "The video follows Janet from the block as she strolls through the hood, on her way to meet her boo. Janet walks through the grocery store, rides a bus and hollas at her girls. See, she's just like us." "Unfortunately, the last 30 seconds of the video are marred by the appearance of Janet's then real boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri." USA Today also commented on Dupri's cameo, saying "He's also her love interest in the I Want You video, sharing a juicy kiss." Another review considered the portrayal of Jackson "walking down some really shady parts of the neighbourhood in pursuit of Jermaine Dupri" as unrealistic. In an interview with Yahoo! Music's Launch.com, Jackson said she was not hesitant to feature Dupri in the video, though revealed it was not her idea to do so, saying "No. I mean, everyone knows us. It's not a secret. I wasn't hesitant at all. I didn't know if he'd do it or not. It wasn't my idea. It was David Meyers's, the director's." Blacklist Following her massively controversial Super Bowl incident, Jackson's singles and videos were blacklisted by various entertainment companies, including Viacom, which owns MTV, VH1, and co-produced the event, and CBS, which aired the event. A senior executive for Viacom stated "are absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure." As a result, the "I Want You" video and other videos from Damita Jo and Jackson's following two albums received little to no rotation on major music channels, despite Jackson's appeal and iconic status in pop culture. The single was released shortly prior to the dawn of Youtube, when music videos from major stars required heavy rotation on music outlets such as MTV to receive promotion. In British publication Music Week, Virgin Record's marketing director Elizabeth Nordy stated that MTV's lack of support due to the Super Bowl incident had been a "major catalyst" in the performance of Jackson's singles from the album. A report from the Associated Press on Fox News revealed additional details of the blacklist, saying "MTV's "Spanking New" videos in heavy rotation include a gyrating, cleavage-baring Beyonce "Naughty Girl" and a bleeped-out Eminem with his group D12 Band". Yet the sedate new video from Janet Jackson—a fixture on the cable channel for almost two decades and its first "MTV Icon"—has been absent from its playlist. Meanwhile, Jackson's name had barely been mentioned on MTV—unusual for a superstar whose previous projects have typically gotten heavy promotion." Jackson's frequent collaborator Jimmy Jam commented "You can probably read between the lines with MTV". "I would guess that if MTV wanted to play it, they would, but this is just speculation on my part. It certainly could raise a few questions if you have an investigative mind." A review of the video also recalled "The video for "I Want You" received little rotation. MTV had Miss Nasty blacklisted after the Super Bowl incident". The video received moderate rotation on VH1, though generated increased airplay on BET, with the channel's senior vice president Stephen Hill commenting "There was never any doubt that when Janet Jackson put out her video, we would play the video". Select other channels who were unaffected by the blacklist also aired "I Want You" on regular rotation, including MuchMusic. Track listings UK CD single (VUSCTX 292) #"All Nite (Don't Stop)" – 3:26 #"I Want You" – 3.58 #"Put Your Hands On" – 3:56 #"All Nite (Don't Stop)" (Sander Kleinenberg Radio Mix) – 4:14 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Radio Mix) – 4:18 #"All Nite (Don't Stop)" (Video) #"I Want You" (Video) UK promo single #"I Want You" (Radio Edit) – 3:54 #"I Want You" (Main Version) – 4:01 European CD Single (7243 5 49567 2 0) #"All Nite (Don't Stop)" – 3:26 #"I Want You" – 4:12 Spanish promo CD single (JANET3#1) #"I Want You" (Radio Edit) – 3:50 Taiwanese promo CD single (JANETSAMPLER) #"I Want You" – 4:12 #"Just a Little While" (UK Mix) – 4:05 US promo mini CD single #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix) – 4:15 #"I Want You" (Video) – 3:45 UK promo CDR #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Main Edit) – 4:16 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Main Dub) – 7:10 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Main Instrumental) – 7:37 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Main Edit) – 4:16 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Hard Mix) – 7:42 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Hard Dub) – 7:43 #"I Want You" (E-Smoove Remix Soul Dub) – 7:27 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Project Club Mix) – 8:18 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Project Deep Mix) – 8:02 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Project Dub Mix) – 7:46 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Project Radio Mix) – 4:19 #"I Want You" (Ray Roc Project Radio Instrumental) – 4:18 #"I Want You" (Radio Edit) – 3:50 #"I Want You" (Album Version) – 3:59 Jamaican promo vinyl #"I Want You (More)" (Federation Remix feat. Vybz Kartel) – 3:50 #"I Want You (More)" (Federation Remix - No Rap) Official remixes House remixes by E-Smoove, Ray Roc Project, and Dr. Octavo were released. *Album Version w/ Dialogue – 4:12 *Main Version – 3:59 *Radio Edit – 3:50 *Ray Roc Radio Mix – 4:19 *Ray Roc Project Radio Instrumental -4:18 *Ray Roc Project Club Mix - 8:16 *Ray Roc Project Deep Mix – 8:02 *Ray Roc Project Dub mix - 7:46 *E-Smoove Remix Main Edit – 4:17 *E-Smoove Remix Main Instrumental - 7:37 *E-Smoove Hard Mix - 7:42 *E-Smoove Main Dub - 7:10 *E-Smoove Remix Hard Dub - 7:42 *E-Smoove Remix Soul Dub - 7:27 *Dr. Octavo Funk'N'Stein Medley (with "R&B Junkie") - 8:44 *Federation Remix (feat. Vybz Kartel) - 3:50 *Federation Remix (No Rap) Charts End of year charts Certifications